Blockbuster Brings New Releases to Android, Windows Mobile Phones
Blockbuster is bringing its OnDemand service to both Windows Mobile and Google Android phones, starting March 24th with the launch of the T-Mobile HTC HD2 smartphone. On that device, Blockbuster customers will be able …
Context & Ripple Effects
Two years ago Blockbuster said it would push movies beyond its stores by streaming to televisions; OnDemand is the service that pivot produced. With this announcement it extends that same catalog onto phones, going live on March 24 aboard T-Mobile's HTC HD2 and covering both Google Android and Windows Mobile in one stroke.
The notable detail is the distribution mechanics: rather than waiting for organic app adoption, Blockbuster ties its mobile debut to a specific carrier's flagship handset launch, turning the HD2's release date into the service's retail moment.
First-order effects
- Blockbuster customers on the HTC HD2 get movie rentals on the device from day one, and T-Mobile gets a content feature bundled into its flagship launch instead of shipping a bare media app.
- By supporting Google Android and Windows Mobile simultaneously, Blockbuster hedges its mobile bet across two platforms instead of conceding either to a rival rental service.
Second-order effects
- Carrier-plus-content launch tie-ins become a copyable template: any handset maker or operator wanting a differentiator can attach a rental service to a device debut, shifting negotiating leverage toward whoever owns the customer relationship.
- Each rental migrated to the handset sharpens the cannibalization question inside Blockbuster itself, as mobile convenience competes with the physical-store revenue the company still depends on.
Third-order effects
- If launch-bundled content deals become routine, mobile distribution gets negotiated per-device and per-carrier rather than per-platform, making smartphones a first-class retail channel alongside the televisions Blockbuster targeted in 2008.
The trend: Movie rental is chasing the screen it plays on: services built for the living room are being pushed onto smartphones, with handset launches doubling as content-distribution deals.